Two of Seven Soldiers Who Wrote 'NYT' Op-Ed Die in Iraq  —  NEW YORK The Op-Ed by seven active duty U.S. soldiers in Iraq questioning the war drew international attention just three weeks ago.  Now two of the seven are dead.  —  Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance Gray died Monday in a vehicle accident …

Clinton Sees Fear Realized in Trouble With Donor  —  Of all the possible vulnerabilities facing Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, Mrs. Clinton has long believed that the one of the biggest was money, friends and advisers say.  Some sort of fund-raising scandal that would echo …

Giuliani support is soft in key battlegrounds, poll finds  —  Although former N.Y. mayor is GOP leader, a new Times/Bloomberg survey shows him trailing in three early states.  Clinton maintains solid lead among Democrats.  —  WASHINGTON — "America's Mayor" Rudolph Giuliani has been well ahead …

The 'proxy war': UK troops are sent to Iranian border  —  British soldiers return to action as tensions between US and Iran grow  —  British forces have been sent from Basra to the volatile border with Iran amid warnings from the senior US commander in Iraq that Tehran is fomenting a "proxy war".

Freedom Fetishists  —  The cultural contradictions of libertarianism.  —  More than perhaps any other American political group, libertarians have suffered the blows of caricature.  For many people, the term evokes an image of a scraggly misfit living in the woods with his gun collection …

Fidel Castro says U.S. fooled world over 9/11  —  HAVANA (Reuters) - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said the U.S. government misinformed Americans and the world about 9/11, echoing conspiracy theories about the terror attacks against the United States six years ago.

Woolsey calls for attacks on colleagues  —  Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) is encouraging anti-war activists to find challengers to centrist Democrats, with the aim of moving the party to the left and ramping up opposition to the war in Iraq, to the chagrin of top Democratic aides.

Poll: Bin Laden tops Musharraf in Pakistan  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf — a key U.S. ally — is less popular in his own country than al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, according to a poll of Pakistanis conducted last month by an anti-terrorism organization.

Japan PM Abe quits after year of scandal and crisis  —  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe abruptly announced his resignation on Wednesday after a year in power dogged by scandals, an election rout and a crisis over Japan's support for U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan.

Mark Warner expected to run for Senate, sources say  —  Former Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat, is widely expected to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, pledging to bring a spirit of bipartisanship to Washington.  —  Warner, in around-the-clock meetings and phone calls …

Bush Nearing Choice to Lead Justice Dept.  —  The White House is closing in on a nominee to replace Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, with former Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson considered one of the leading candidates, administration and Congressional officials said Tuesday.

WHAT PETRAEUS MEANS FOR DEMOCRATS:  —  In a press conference after a meeting with George W. Bush today, Democratic leaders talked tough about the Iraq war.  But one aggressive reporter, who didn't identify himself, asked Nancy Pelosi a quite pointed question: Given that it now appears likely …